CDIST-HACKER(7)

NAME
cdist-hacker - How to get (stuff) into cdist

WELCOME

Welcome dear hacker! I invite you to a tour of pointers to get into the usable configuration mangament system, cdist.

The first thing to know is probably that cdist is brought to you by people who care about how code looks like and who think twice before merging or implementing a feature: Less features with good usability are far better than the opposite.

REPORTING BUGS

If you believe you’ve found a bug and verified that it is in the latest version, drop a mail to the cdist mailing list, subject prefixed with "[BUG] " or create an issue on github.

CODING CONVENTIONS (EVERYWHERE)

If something should be better done or needs to fixed, add the word FIXME nearby, so grepping for FIXME gives all positions that need to be fixed.

Indention is 4 spaces (welcome to the python world).

HOW TO SUBMIT STUFF FOR INCLUSION INTO UPSTREAM CDIST

If you did some cool changes to cdist, which you value as a benefit for everybody using cdist, you’re welcome to propose inclusion into upstream.

There are though some requirements to ensure your changes don’t break others work nor kill the authors brain:

    • All files should contain the usual header (Author, Copying, etc.)

    • Code submission must be done via git

    • Do not add cdist/conf/manifest/init - This file should only be touched in your private branch!

    • Code to be included should be branched of the upstream "master" branch

    • Exception: Bugfixes to a version branch

    • On a merge request, always name the branch I should pull from

    • Always ensure all manpages build. Use ./build man to test.

    • If you developed more than one feature, consider submitting them in separate branches. This way one feature can already be included, even if the other needs to be improved.

As soon as your work meets these requirements, write a mail for inclusion to the mailinglist cdist at cdist — at — l.schottelius.org or open a pull request at http://github.com/telmich/cdist.

HOW TO SUBMIT A NEW TYPE

For detailled information about types, see cdist-type(7).

Submitting a type works as described above, with the additional requirement that a corresponding manpage named man.text in asciidoc format with the manpage-name "cdist-type__NAME" is included in the type directory AND asciidoc is able to compile it (i.e. do NOT have to many "=" in the second line).

Warning: Submitting "exec" or "run" types that simply echo their parameter in gencode* will not be accepted, because they are of no use. Every type can output code and thus such a type introduces redundant functionality that is given by core cdist already.

SEE ALSO

    • cdist(7)

COPYING

Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Nico Schottelius. Free use of this software is granted under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3).

AUTHOR

Nico Schottelius <nico-cdist--@--schottelius.org>
    Author.